Turkish flour imports should be suspended for the time being while the government has yet to complete the testing of samples for possible contamination with cancer-causing organisms, local flour millers urged.

Philippine Association of Flour Millers (Pafmil) executive director Ric Pinca, said the government, particularly the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health (DoH), should first certify that Turkish flour is safe for human consumption to avoid any possible public health crisis.

Pafmil came out with this statement after the Turkish embassy, importers of Turkish wheat flour and Turkish flour exporters denied allegations that imported Turkish wheat flour is not safe for human consumption.

Earlier, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel had warned of the danger posed by Turkish flour, used in bread and noodles, which he said had been found by Turkish research institutions to be susceptible to cancer-causing aflatoxin, aflatoxin B and ochratoxin.

Pinca said they were able to purchase a bag of flour in Pasig with the brand Crown Flour which the retailer said was imported from Turkey.